Five Minutes of Heaven (2009)

The story of former UVF member Alistair Little. Twenty-five years after Little killed Joe Griffen's brother, the media arrange an auspicious meeting between the two.

Director:

Oliver Hirschbiegel

Writer:

Guy Hibbert (screenplay)

Stars:

Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt, Anamaria Marinca

9 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Ryder	...	Young Alistair - 1975 (as Mark Davison)
Diarmuid Noyes	...	Andy - 1975
Niamh Cusack	...	Alistair's Mum - 1975
Mathew McElhinney	...	Stuart - 1975
Conor MacNeill	...	Dave - 1975
Paul Garrett	...	Alistair's Dad - 1975
Kevin O'Neill	...	Young Joe - 1975
Gerard Jordan	...	Jim - 1975
Paula McFetridge	...	Joe's Mum - 1975
Gerry Doherty	...	Joe's Dad - 1975
Luke O'Reilly	...	Brother Dan - 1975
Luke McEvoy	...	Brother John - 1975
Aoibheann Biddle	...	Sister 1 - 1975
Ruth Matthewson	...	Sister 2 - 1975
Carol Moore	...	Susan - 1975

Storyline

In February, 1975, in Northern Ireland, seventeen year-old UVF member Alistair Little kills the catholic Jimmy Griffin in his house in Lurgan in front of his younger brother Joe Griffin. Alistair is arrested and imprisoned for twelve years while Joe is blamed by his mother for not saving his brother. Thirty-three years later, a TV promotes the meeting of Alistair and Joe in a house in River Finn, expecting the truth and the reconciliation of the murderer and the victim who actually seeks five minutes of heaven.

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Plot Keywords:

reconciliation | vengeance | title spoken by character | cell phone | ireland | 

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Taglines:

To face the future, they must face the past.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt were born in the same town, Ballymena in Northern Ireland.

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Goofs

The car which takes Griffin to the shooting location changes color from black to silver and back. You can see this when they stop on the highway,and Griffin gets back in the car and closes the door the side of the car is silver. Also, the mirror of the car is silver when it should be black.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Young Alistair - 1975: [narrating] For me to talk about the man I have become, you need to know about the man I was. I was 14 when I joined the Tartan gangs, and I was 15 when I joined the UVF, the Ulster Volunteer Force. At that time, don't forget, there were riots on the streets every week; petrol bombs everyday, and that was just in our town. When you got home and switched on the TV, you could see what was happening in every other town as well, and it was like we were under siege. Fathers and brothers ...

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Connections

References The Way of the Dragon (1972)

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Soundtracks

Birth
Written and performed by David Holmes
Courtesy of Mercury Records Limited
Under license from Universal Music Operations
Published by Universal/Island Music LImited

User Reviews

Compelling film and a must see

Just viewed this tonight and thought it was really an excellent commentary on the difficulty of forgiveness, the helplessness of letting go, and, of course, how hate and regret can meet and be resolved (many times with misgivings and myopic single mindedness). It is said that forgiveness (whether of oneself or another) is the hardest endeavor a human being can face. This film brilliantly portrays the anguish of two men, one who hates and can't forgive another, and one who regrets and can't forgive himself. The brevity of the film (121 minutes) and the abrupt ending belies the volumes of emotion that permeate almost every scene. The movie is both compelling and enjoyable while also being very disturbing.

A part not to be overlooked is played by Anamaria Marinca (Vika), a 'gopher' for the film crew. Her character added quite a bit of depth to the film. Neeson and Nesbitt should both be recognized for their riveting performances.

In most films today the focus is on revenge, blood, and murder. "Five Minutes.." includes these vices but, contrary to the blood and gore in many movies today, this film's focal points are, indeed, letting go, finding your life and living it, focusing on what means most to you, demolishing the demons that haunt you, and, most importantly, discovering that elusive human effort which leads to forgiveness. It's hard...very hard, and most of us can't bring ourselves to that end because forgiveness is many times viewed by society as weakness when it is, in actuality, strength.

Details

Country:

UK Ireland

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 2009 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Five Minutes of Heaven

Filming Locations:

Glenarm Castle, Ballymena, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,364, 23 August 2009

Gross USA:

$15,676

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$364,355

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Big Fish Films, Bórd Scannán na hÉireann

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White (archive footage)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1